Why isn't there a Technical Forum?
 

I have joined many online forums devoted to various things I use (cars, motorcycles, Pinball machines, houses, etc.) They all have technical forums that get deep into various problems and the solutions that members share with each other. In the case of Automotive forums the technical forums are generally subdivided to specific generations and models. People post great descriptions of the repairs often with pictures.

While I appriciate the social features of SegwayChat I think you need a dedicated Tech section.

You're posting in it.

Because the Segway is mostly a closed, proprietary and protected system, there is only a limited amount of technical detail and information readily available. It's shared here, in this forum.

See what is Inside a Segway Battery
 

I for one think we should work a bit harder to crack it open.

We need a sticky Error codes thread that has everything we have been able to learn about the error codes. I also think we should be able to browse more than 4 pages of old threads. I know I can search and get results from old threads but why are we limited to browsing only 4 pages of posts?

Batteries are a big concern for a Segway owners. I went to the "Reference Information & How-To's" section the thread titled "E027, How to check battery, disassemble" does not deserve a spot in that section. The only useful info in the entire thread is a suggestion to swap the batteries.

Your response gives me the impression you are in league with Segway INC and that this forum is intentionally suppressing this type of information.

I conducted the following search on google Images "site:segwaychat.com" I didn't find a single picture of the guts of a Segway. I did see a wheel with no tire on it and an unattached handlebar. Personally I can find more detailed information looking at pictures of items for sale on ebay. Just because it is interesting (and I am guessing no one here has ever seen what they are paying so much for) I am posting pictures of the inside of a Segway battery with this response, I wonder if they will get deleted.

I would like to Vote for a Technical Forum I don't want to have to read thru posts with pictures of peoples cats riding their Segway when I am trying to find a fix for a problem.

Thanks for the info and I for one appreciate your views. However, be careful not to bite the hand that feeds you!

We have a sticky thread for error codes in the Reference Information & How-to forum:

http://forums.segwaychat.com/showthread.php?t=13767

Maybe you should spend some time in the community, look around a bit, use the search engine (that's what it's there for) and get to know the other members before proposing change here, and suggesting a "vote" on something.

Thanks.

I concede the point.

If you go back to the part of the forum where you can see all the threads, scroll to the bottom and you will see the "display options". You can click on the last box and change the setting to "beginning" and then you will be able to see every single post from the very beginning.

Also, there have been many pictures of the insides of all models of Segway. I'm not going to search them up for you -- but I'll concede it may be difficult to do so!

But I hope you'll find it useful and encouraging to know they exist to be found, at least.

I've also participated in some discussions of the Segway RMP robotics platform, and the CAN-bus-based protocol that it uses, which appears to be related to but substantially different than what was used in the Gen 1 systems.

I have read some of the RMP documentation; you may be able to find those links on the forum, or it may be easier to google for the documentation to find it more directly.

Other than having read that documentation, and knowing physics and a fair bit of EE, I don't actually have a lot to contribute. I'm not planning on opening up my unit; I depend on it too much. (If it were a toy, I probably would have had it open the first day!)

But if you have or discover any information to contribute, I shall certainly be an interested reader!

I also would like to gather more information about repairing Segways. For me the worst thing about the Segway is the difficulty to repair and maintain. You can't access the log and get info on any errors. There are no repair guides.

It's like buying a Toyota, you have a problem and only Toyota can help you. You have to ship your car to Japan to have it fixed. That wouldn't be a good product.

I don't see any reason why detailed schematics and information isn't available considering if anyone wanted to steal Segway technology all they would have to do is take a unit apart.

Very true. While DEKA had some very smart people working on the Segway, they don't have the monopoly on smart people. A hobbiest can make a self balancing machine in the garage with some spare rc helicopter parts. A firm with more resources can make a SAFE self-balancing machine. BTW, when a Toyota has a problem, they recommend you take it to a Toyota service center. You don't HAVE to because Toyotas are not so dissimilar to other cars and a modern Toyota was built upon over a century of automotive knowledge. The Segway, a little newer, and a slightly different beast.